4 Dead, 13 Injured in Gen. Santos City Highway Collision

General Santos City: Four people were killed and 13 others were injured, including an 85-year-old woman and a 2-year-old girl, in a head-on collision between a private commuter van and a pick-up truck on the national highway in General Santos City on Sunday afternoon. According to Philippines News Agency, the accident occurred around 3 p.m. near the Barangay Apopong roundabout, as reported by Capt. Lamberto Rabino, head of the General Santos City Traffic Enforcement Unit. The van driver, Rasol Angkob Adam, 56, along with three senior citizen passengers from Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, were declared dead on arrival at a local hospital. Eight other senior citizens in the van sustained injuries. In the pick-up truck, the injured included driver Harvey Collado, 36, his wife, and their three children aged 13, 9, and 2. All are residents of Tampakan, South Cotabato. Rabino stated that the pick-up truck attempted to overtake another vehicle by switching lanes, leading to the head-on collision with t he oncoming van. The impact severely damaged both vehicles, deforming their front portions, hoods, bumpers, and engines. The injured are currently receiving treatment at various hospitals in General Santos City. Authorities are investigating the incident to determine further details and prevent similar accidents in the future.